The board of directors and supervisory board of FC Schalke 04 have written a letter to the 170,000 members of the club. In it, they commented on the club’s relegation and set the goal of re-promotion.

In a letter to its 170,000 members, the board of directors and the supervisory board of FC Schalke 04 took stock of the Bundesliga season that had just ended.

It turned into a reckoning with ex-coach Frank Kramer and ex-sport director Rouven Schröder, who had already been sacked in October. “A question that probably moves many of you, especially after the second half of the season: Why did we not manage to avoid relegation?” the Königsblauen wrote in the letter.

“In a nutshell: We made mistakes before and during the season, the complete correction of which was only partially successful over the course of the season. The decision for Thomas Reis as the new head coach in autumn 2022 was the central building block in sporting terms to become competitive in the fight to stay in the league. “

During the break between games because of the World Cup, the board had sat down and made an analysis of the sporting area. “Since then, important conclusions have been drawn for future decisions, which have already delivered the first positive results in the winter transfer period and in the second half of the season.” In the second half of the season, the Knappen picked up 22 points and finished in 8th place. However, the mortgage from the first half of the season with only nine points weighed too heavily.

The board of directors and supervisory board also thanked the supporters for their fantastic support throughout the season. This was comfort, drive and energy for the next season.

The foundation to build on is more stable than it was during the last relegation two years ago, he said. “What we can already say today: We will tackle relegation! A big challenge, we know that only too well. In doing so, we will of course make sure that we keep a firm eye on the long-term perspective, namely a sustainable increase in the squad’s value,” the club’s top management writes in the letter. “We are therefore consistently continuing along the path that the board of directors and supervisory board have laid down in the company’s goals. This path will become longer due to relegation, but the goals remain the same. “